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Friday, June 14, 2013

After two years of wondering, hoping, and waiting ... we have been put out of our collective misery. Read all about it here:

McArthur and Company Closes its Doors

I met with Kim McArthur in Toronto in April during a hail and rainstorm. The weather was violent but we got comfortable over bowls of soup and talked for hours. I learned the past two years had been as difficult for her as they were for me. We wore our battle-scars and our hearts on our sleeves as women of our generation do. Not a pity party by any means, Kim was wry and witty about the blows life had dealt her of late. As for me, my youngest brother had died suddenly and tragically on March 13, and my first grandchild was born on March 22. Life had humbled me into seeing there was more to it than book contracts.

Kim is a survivor. Even at that late date, she had plans in the works to regroup. Before leaving, I handed her my latest novel, THE RIVER BRIDE on a thumb drive. She looked at it and said "Um, what's this?" Old school all the way, she wanted printed pages. I laughed. I always imagine publishers to be cutting-edge-tech-savvy-texting-moguls. I forget that most of them are just as in love with words and the printed page as writers are.

Kim has gone on to form McArthur Blumental Creative Agency Inc. representing some of the authors she worked with in publishing. Even though I won't be one of them, I'm very glad to have had that afternoon in April, talking about life, love and writing. I'm glad I met her. I don't regret a thing.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Every year, from the time my children were school-age, I've tried to get all writing done and dusted so I could kick back and enjoy the season.

It has literally NEVER happened. My timing has always been off. While my loved ones were outside, boating or camping or fishing or hiking, I'd be holed up in my office, sweating over a final draft.

Until this year.

After a nice little rest of three months, THE RIVER BRIDE is getting a soft revision. Gently coaxing the main character out of the passive shell I wrote her in and making herself known. But this is delicate surgery, two hours a day, tops, to do this work. Or I risk killing the patient.

IN SUMMER READING NEWS:

I'm joining a group of authors for a MAGICAL EVENING IN OTTAWA on June 17 at 6:30 pm at Burgers on Main. I'll be reading from THE GREY LADY and ICED UNDER. It's free!

And on May 30 the winners of the Arthur Ellis Awards were announced and you can find out who won what here: